Westchester4Geese and Citizen's Committee presents 'Geese and
Wildlife Summit' on June 20, 2013, at the Scarsdale Library, 7 - 9 PM,
to explore the many humane, intelligent methods of living with, and
avoiding conflicts with geese, coyotes, and other critters who share our
beautiful county. Senator George Latimer (D - 37th District) will be
joining us, and has promised to bring other area senators along. This
event is free to the public and refreshments will be served. The
Scarsdale Library was the scene of a proposed geese slaughter till
officials rejected that plan in favor of non-lethal methods after being
educated by animal advocates about the wide variety of items available.
All area mayors, village supervisors, legislators etc have been
invited, as well as the candidates running for County Executive, to find
out what their views are on this topic as well.

This summit was
originally planned to only cover geese issues. We have broadened the
summit to include 'Tips on living with wildlife,' in order to address
beliefs the public has, such as 'Do all raccoons carry rabies?' and
'How dangerous are coyotes?' etc, in light of recent coyote sightings
in Westchester which are reported with alarm by the media. With a NYC
killing of geese on June 19 in a sneak attack by the USDA, and troubling
events like it in Westchester, this event comes at a perfect time to
serve as an educational forum and a reminder to treat wildlife with
respect and kindness.

There will be an in-person demonstration
of the Goosinator by county officials, the Geesebusters method currently
being used in Scarsdale, and several other 'deterrent' methods such as
the decoy coyote, an artificial 'predator' alligator, as well as an
overview of egg oiling and habitat 'modification.'

We will also
discuss the use of the Naturesweep cleaning system, avian birth
control, address the truth about 'donations' of geese flesh to the
poor, question whether there really is an 'overpopulation' of geese, and
debunk the supposed 'health hazard' the geese pose to humans.
Video of a USDA geese roundup will be shown, which the public rarely
sees. Frank Vincenti of Wild Dog Foundation will educate the public on
common sense tips for avoiding conflicts with coyotes while treating
them with respect and intelligence.

Kiley Blackman, Founder of
Westchester4Geese said, 'The geese and all the wildlife in the area are
the reason many people move to this area in the first place. The
animals enrich our lives; they have been driven from their homes by
urban sprawl, but they have a right to live here too. This is wonderful
opportunity for Westchester municipalities to join together in a
compassionate effort to learn about how to live with all their neighbors
- without shaming and embarrassing their venues with plans to violently
slaughter sentient beings who have committed no crime; who only want to
live and survive like the rest of us.'

Senator Latimer agrees.
"It is important to make sure that every point of view is heard before
making a decision on a community issue,' he states. "This summit is an
excellent opportunity for local officials to gain information about
humane treatment and partnership with the wildlife populations in the
region."